Better Times
by Lost in Day Dreams
Summary: A little sneak peak into Brock and Reba's married days....or at least what I imagine they were like. :


There really was no point to this fanfic, it's just what happens when I am incredibly bored and there is nothing Reba on television. Hee hee! But anyway, I hope it at least entertains you a bit; it certainly kept my attention while waiting for Reba to come on! Enjoy!

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Brock Hart let out a great yawn as he stumbled down the sidewalk towards the apartment he and his wife shared. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he fiddled for a second before finally finding the right one. Of course he missed the keyhole several times, but eventually he got it to work for him and swung the door open with relief.

_Man, I must be more tired than I figured, _he thought to himself as he leaned against the doorframe for a second as another bout of yawns attacked him. What a rotten day it had been. He couldn't wait to make it over to the couch and rest for just a minute before finally confronting his wife.

_Poor Reba, _he thought. _She's probably been waiting for hours._ Totally neglecting removing his coat and putting up his briefcase, he flopped down on the couch and closed his eyes, trying to get the image of her sitting all alone for hours out of his head.

_Why did it have to be today of all days, _he questioned himself bitterly. Sunday was supposed to be his and Reba's day. Sunday was the only day where there was no dental school, Reba didn't have any substituting jobs, and Brock didn't have to go to his crummy office job he stayed with solely for the purpose of supporting the both of them. It was the one day where they could forget all that kept them apart Monday through Saturday and have the world consist of just the two of them. It was perfect.

And at the beginning of the day that promise of perfection still hung in the air, for they had lucked out incredibly this year…their third wedding anniversary finally landed on a Sunday. For the past two years they had had to schedule celebrating around Brock's dental classes and night job, which was just fine with them but not the most ideal situation. They had been so happy a couple of weeks back when they looked at the calendar and saw that they could finally do their celebrating on the actual day, and that happiness that carried well over to that morning. That was, until the phone rang.

Brock had heard it first and felt his breath catch in his throat when he looked at the clock. No good ever came from a call that was received at six a.m. He apprehensively picked up the phone and it was just as he had feared; his boss had practically screamed into his ear that another employee had just called in sick and he needed Brock to come in and take over his shift. Brock tried to argue with him but it only got met with threats of job termination, so he hung up the phone with annoyance and looked over where Reba slept peacefully. He really hadn't wanted to wake her to just deliver her bad news, but he knew he had to. It really didn't help that she had been so understanding about it either; it would have helped ease the guilt if she had gotten at least a little upset. But she knew as well as he did that it was all for the best. It may be hard now but it would secure them a happy future.

_Besides, it's not like I'm going to be in dental school forever, _Brock reasoned as he gently massaged his temples. Pretty soon he would graduate; then he would be able to quit his job and finally open the dental practice he'd always dreamed of, one where he could schedule his own hours and be his own boss. Finally he would spend more time at home, and specifically more time with his wife.

Suddenly he felt soft hands remove his fingers from his temples and begin to massage his head with their own fingers. He smiled before taking one of those hands and kissing it fondly.

"Hey sweetheart," he greeted her as he leaned his head back on the sofa and opened his eyes. Reba grinned that grin that still melted his heart and gave him an upside down kiss on the lips before greeting him back.

"Hey honey, how was work?"

"Terrible," he replied bitterly. "Mr. Stevens was in a mood and wouldn't let any of us leave early."

"Yeah, I can see that," she replied as she looked over at the clock in front of them. Brock followed her gaze and felt his mouth drop open when he caught sight of the time.

"9:30," he exclaimed, truly not realizing until then how long his boss had kept him. _No wonder I'm so tired! _

Meanwhile Reba rounded the couch and took a seat next to him, which he took full advantage of by wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in close until her head rested on his chest.

"Honey, I'm _so_ sorry," he told her sadly. "I really was looking forward to spending this day with just the two of us."

"It's alright, Brock. I understand," she assured him.

"No, it's not alright," he snapped. "We didn't even get to celebrate our anniversary ahead of time thanks to that bonehead boss of mine!" Though his anger wasn't directed towards her, he still felt Reba jolt a bit at his sudden outburst. She lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with big, concerned eyes.

"Brock, are you okay?!" Brock gave her a small smile and began to rub his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sorry, Reba, I didn't mean to snap like that. I guess I'm just tired, that's all."

"Well, I have something that might make you feel a whole lot better," she told him, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Be right back!" She leaped up from the couch and ran to their bedroom, her excitement reminiscent of a child's on Christmas day. Thoroughly confused, Brock quickly removed his coat and turned sideways in his seat to watch the doorway for his wife's return. He heard some shuffling come from what he guessed was their closet, followed by a big thud of something hitting the floor.

"You okay," he called out with a hint of concern.

"I'm fine," she called back quickly. "Just turn around and close your eyes!" Brock was taken aback for a second, wondering how in the world she could have possibly known that he was facing the doorway, but instead of questioning he did what he was told. A few seconds later he heard her reenter the room lugging along something with wheels.

_Well, I probably can eliminate car, _he thought, causing him to chuckle at his own lame joke. He desperately wanted to open his eyes but instead squeezed them shut tighter to avoid temptation. Finally he heard his wife say, "Okay, open your eyes!"

When he did, he had to fake cough a bit to stifle some laughter. Sitting next to Reba was the set of golf clubs he had seen in a store window a couple of months back that up until then he only dreamed of owning. The gift wasn't the funny part though, but the way it was presented. Reba must have figured that there was no way she would be able to wrap the entire golf bag and the clubs together, so instead she opted for tying a ridiculously large bow around the outside of the bag and wrapping up each club individually. She probably saw the amusement in his eyes and gave him a sly smile.

"Bet you can never guess what it is," she joked, causing that laughter he had been trying to stifle slip out. He got up from his seat and walked over to her side to admire his gift.

"Honey, how the heck did you ever get enough money to afford these," he asked as he removed one of the wrapped up clubs from the bag.

"Well I just scrimped a little here and saved a little there, and before I knew it I had enough money to buy these and the bow," she said with a giggle as she fingered the large bow. "I was actually quite proud of myself!"

"No wonder your monthly splurge on shoes seemed to stop for a while," he told her coyly, prompting a playful look of disdain on her part. Brock grinned at her before taking her hand.

"Thank you honey, this is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me," he told her sincerely.

"Oh so marrying you doesn't count for anything, I suppose," she teased. Brock rolled his eyes and pulled her in closer.

"You know what I mean…" he replied before tapering off to give her a passionate kiss. Reba gladly responded and deepened the kiss further as Brock absent-mindedly placed the golf club aside and wrapped his arms around her. He gladly would have kept going but suddenly he remembered something.

"Wait…Reba…" he told her in between kisses.

"What…" she responded with a hint of annoyance of being interrupted.

"I…have something….for you too." Reluctantly he gave her one last kiss before leaving her arms and running to the kitchen where he hid his gift.

"It better be good if it meant stopping the kissing," he heard her call while he rummaged through their junk drawer. Brock laughed and shouted back, "I promise where we can pick up where we left off later!" Finally he had moved all the letters and paper clips aside and found the jewelry box he had been looking for. Straightening the tiny bow one last time, he smiled to himself before holding his hands behind his back and casually returning to the living room. Reba saw him reenter and scanned him for a sign of a gift.

"Well," she asked, "where is it?"

"Close your eyes," he commanded.

"You lost whatever you were gonna give me, didn't you?"

"No," he replied indignantly. "I just want to make the presentation special! Now close your eyes."

"Fine," she replied, closing her eyes, "but if I hear you shuffling around to pull some lame gift out of your butt, I'm opening them!" He was starting to think she seriously thought he had forgotten to get her a gift, but the playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth told him otherwise.

"Do you want your gift or not," he teased back. Reba smiled and held out her hand. Brock grinned back as he gingerly placed the gift into her hand and closed her fingers around it.

"Alright, open your eyes," he told her, a little too slow though for her eyes popped open excitedly before he could get the whole sentence out. He watched her anxiously, so eager to see her reaction when she saw what was waiting for her in that little box. Finally Reba was able to get the bow untied and opened the box, immediately giving the reaction Brock had been hoping for.

Inside the box sat a beautiful anniversary ring, a gold band lined with glittering diamonds on top of it. It was actually something he had wanted to give her on their first wedding anniversary, but he had nowhere near enough money back then, so he saved a little each month over the next two years and was finally able to afford it. By the astonished look on Reba's face, he could tell that it had been worth the wait.

"You like it," he asked lamely, mostly just to snap her out of her shock.

"I-I love it," she answered him breathlessly. "It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!"

"I was hoping you would feel that way," he told her with a pleased smile. "I've been saving money for forever now." Reba's eyes filled up with tears as she gave Brock a quick kiss before immediately returning her gaze to her new ring.

"Oh Brock, this is so sweet of you," she told him, the tears that brimmed her eyes reflecting in her voice. Instead of replying, Brock only smiled and took the box from her hands. He carefully removed the ring, took her right hand in his, and slipped it onto her ring finger. Reba held out her hand to admire her new gift, and Brock felt his breath catch in his throat as the glitter from the diamonds sparkled in her beautiful blue eyes.

"I love you," she said once she finally looked up at him.

"I love you too," he told her with a peck on the lips, thinking life didn't get much better than the moment he was living in right then. They stood in comfortable silence for a second admiring the thoughtful gifts they had given each other, when Reba seemed to remember something.

"Hey honey, did you ever get to eat dinner? I could fix ya something if you didn't."

"No it's fine, they ordered some take out for us around seven. Did you eat?" Brock saw her get that look of panic in her eyes she got when she either knew she had just given herself away somehow or when she was about to lie. At the moment he figured it was the former rather than the latter.

"Actually I skipped dinner tonight," she admitted as she turned away from him and tried to make herself look busy. He furrowed his brows with confusion as he watched her put away his coat and briefcase.

"Why," he asked before the answer had the chance to dawn on him. "Honey, are you _still _feeling nauseous?"

"Just a little," she admitted, still not meeting his gaze. About a month ago Reba had come down with the flu, and while most of the symptoms went away eventually she would still get nauseous on and off again. He tried to convince her to go see a doctor but for some reason she kept refusing. Still it couldn't hurt to give it another shot.

"Honey, I know you don't like going to see doctors, but I really think you should. I'll even go with you tomorrow if you want, between two of my classes," he offered. Finally Reba stopped fiddling around with stuff and gave him a sheepish smile.

"Actually, I already went to go see a doctor." Brock's eyebrows shot up with surprise.

"You did?! When?"

"A couple of days ago," she admitted. He still had no clue why she had kept it from him, but it was beginning to worry him a bit. _Is something really wrong with her, _he panicked inwardly. On the outside though, he managed to remain calm.

"W-What did he say?" He watched her take in a deep breath.

"Okay, I've been trying to figure out the right way to tell you this," she started off, "and I promise I was going to tell you soon….tonight actually!"

"Tell me what," he interrupted, his curiosity getting the best of him. The sickening feeling that it was something terrible stayed with him…until he saw his wife grin.

"I'm pregnant..."

Brock had to run those two words through his head a couple of times before he could fully comprehend them, and even then he still couldn't believe it.

_Reba's going to be a mother, _he thought with astonishment, _and I'm going to be…a father!_ An overwhelming joy spread through him at the very thought, but still he was too much in shock to get his face to show it. Finally Reba broke the silence.

"Brock? You okay?" Her voice finally snapped him out of his flabbergasted state, and he ran over to wrap his arms around her tightly.

"We going to have a baby," he almost screamed into her soft, curly red hair. He heard her laugh ring in his ears.

"Well not if you keep trying to squeeze the life outta me!" Brock immediately released her and held her out at arm's length to examine her, his eyes filled with concern.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I?!" Reba grinned and shook her head.

"No honey, I'm fine," she assured him.

"You sure?! You sure you're not hungry? Or tired? I could carry you upstairs if you'd like!" Reba giggled and looked him straight in the eye.

"Brock, I'm fine…really. You can calm down a bit, okay?" He smiled at her and took a deep breath.

"Right….sorry. So….we're going to be parents?" Reba grinned widely at him and nodded. Brock beamed right along with her, hardly able to contain his excitement. He closed the space between them and kissed her passionately, a move which she gladly responded to. Wildfires flew between them as the kissing continued, only interrupted when Reba broke it off to smile up at him.

"Didn't you promise me something about picking up where we left off earlier," she asked coyly.

"You're right, I did," he replied, kissing her again. "And now we have more than one reason to celebrate!"

"We sure do!" Brock smiled happily before taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom, where they did indeed pick up where they left off.

Hours later Reba laid in Brock's arms, smiling serenely as she slept with her head on his chest. Brock however, was much too excited to even think about sleep at that moment, despite the fact that he was tired. _A baby, _he kept repeating in his head, _we're going to have a baby!_ He still hardly could believe it. Soon there would be a little piece of both of them running around. Would they have boy or girl? Who would it take after? Would he make a good father? Tons of questions filled his head as he laid there as watched his wife sleep soundly, each only increasing his enthusiasm all the more. Quietly he slipped one of his hands under the sheets and carefully felt around until it rested on Reba's stomach. He knew it was too early to feel anything, but still it made him feel closer to his child.

_My child,_ he thought blissfully, softly kissing the top of Reba's head. _Our child…_

Suddenly Brock felt his wife stir a bit in his arms. He laid very still, hoping he hadn't disturbed her when he put his hand on her stomach, but to his relief she just sighed and settled back down, scooting a bit closer to him in the process. Brock sighed contently himself, feeling the warmth of Reba's body melt into his own. Earlier he had thought his life couldn't get any better, but he had been wrong. Life always had the potential of getting better, and the fact that there would soon be a new addition to their little family proved just that.

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Well there ya go! A dumb little look into Brock and Reba's past! Again, this wasn't supposed to be anything epic, just something to pass the time and hopefully make someone a little happy! Thanks for reading and reviews are greatly appreciated! 


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